Michigan School Board Rejects Book Ban Request
TRAVERSE CITY (WWJ/AP) - A school board has rejected a request from parents of a student at Traverse City West Senior High School to have a book banned.
Heather and Jeff Campbell complained about "The Glass Castle" and the Traverse City Area Public Schools Board of Education weighed in on the matter on Monday. The board rejected a recommendation to remove the book from a freshman honors English course summer reading list.
Board President Kelly Hall said she feared removing "The Glass Castle" from the reading list could have a chilling effect on the district's willingness to use potentially controversial material, regardless of its educational merit, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported.
Jeannette Walls' memoir includes explicit language and references to child molestation, adolescent sexual exploits and violence.
The book was assigned to the Campbells' daughter over the summer as part of a freshman honors English course. Jeff Campbell said he's disappointed in the board's decision, but hopes the issue makes parents more aware of what their kids are reading.
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